Pakistani tribesmen attack gas field

Pakistani tribesmen battled security forces in the country's biggest natural gas field over the weekend and destroyed a small airport building.

20 Jun 2004 10:20 GMT

Rocket attacks are regular in the Sui area

The tribesmen in Baluchistan province, where decades ago there was a low-level insurgency for greater autonomy, fired more than 50 rockets at security posts in the Sui natural gas field on Saturday night, police said.

Security forces retaliated and the fighting raged for more than two hours, they said on Sunday.

A paramilitary soldier was wounded in a Saturday attack but there were no other reports of casualties. There were no reports of damage to gas facilities.

Rocket attacks are regular in the Sui area where Pakistan Petroleum Ltd operates natural gas fields. Casualties are rare.

Security forces blame tribesmen demanding jobs and a share in revenues generated by the gas fields.

Police said rockets hit and destroyed the building at the airport in Sui, 280km southeast of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, while local officials said it had been blown up with explosives.

The small, two-room building was empty and no one was hurt, police said.

In May, about 140 rockets were fired in Sui, while at least 120 rockets have hit the remote and thinly populated area this month so far.

Last week, 12 civilians were wounded when rockets slammed into residential areas of Sui town.